San Antonio Spurs legend and current long time TV broadcast analyst Sean Elliott spoke on March 8th to a packed house of Fair Oaks Ranch Rotarians during the Club’s annual “March Madness” program. Elliott, who was the 1989 College Basketball Player of the Year at Arizona, played 12 of his 13 NBA seasons for the Spurs before retiring in 2001. He authored perhaps the greatest and most improbable shot in Spurs’ history when he nailed a 3-point shot (“The Memorial Day Miracle”) that led to a victory in the Western Conference Finals and was instrumental in bringing San Antonio its first NBA title.
Sean entertained the audience with stories of his college career playing for Hall of Fame Coach Lute Olson and the four appearances to “The Big Dance” including a Final Four trip in 1988. He also recollected as to how the Spurs came so close in the ‘90s to making the NBA Finals and how they finally broke through in 1999. He said that fans still come up to him everywhere he goes and recollect on exactly where they were when he made The Memorial Day Miracle shot at The Alamodome. He also related how his kidney disease led to an organ transplant just two months after the championship season and how he became the first athlete in the country to return playing at the professional level after a major organ transplant.
Sean, whose #32 was retired by the Spurs in 2005, answered numerous questions from Rotarians and many invited guests about his playing career and his broadcasting role alongside Spurs TV play-by-play announcer Bill Land, a Fair Oaks Ranch resident, who was also in attendance. Afterwards Sean stayed for many a photo opportunity If you are interested in learning more about Rotary, and the Fair Oaks Ranch Club, contact Membership Director Will Winslett at (830) 446-6361 or [email protected]. The Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch meets for a noon luncheon the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of each month at the Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club.
